AFL Speed Data

Baseball scouts travel with two electronic tools: 1) a radar gun and 2) a stopwatch.

We all know the purpose of the gun. Stopwatches are commonly used to measure the time it takes a player to get from the batter's box to first base (from the point of contact with the ball to contact with the bag). Ideally, you get a guy running out a grounder at full speed. Such an event typically occurs in less than a third of the batter's plate appearances.

Ripe in scouting, I didn't even think to bring a stopwatch to the Arizona Fall League. Fortunately we captured hundreds of video clips. And after reviewing all of them, I was able to gather the data below. It should be more accurate than what most people recorded at live games.

The MLB Scouting Bureau uses the rubric below to grade speed (in seconds). Players are separated by the batters box from which they run -- it generally takes righties longer to get to first than lefties.

Right-handed

Left-handed

Grade

8
-- 4.0

8 -- 3.9

8 -- Outstanding

7
-- 4.1

7 -- 4.0

7 -- Well above average

6
-- 4.2

6 -- 4.1

6 -- Above average

5
-- 4.3

5 -- 4.2

5 -- Average

4
-- 4.4

4 -- 4.3

4 -- Below average

3
-- 4.5

3 -- 4.4

3 -- Well below average

2
-- 4.6+

2 -- 4.5+

2 -- Poor

The table below can be used as rough speed rankings of the 45 AFL players we have data for. The portion to the right is the same data with players alphabetized by first name.

Rk

Player

Grade

Ave.

Bats

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

Player

Grade

Ave.

Bats

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

1

Hector Gomez

80

4.00

R

4.0

4.0

4.0

Andrew Lambo

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

2

Matt Angle

75

3.20

L

3.2

-- drag bunt

Brad Emaus

20

4.65

R

4.7

4.6

3

Cale Iorg

75

3.70

R

3.7

-- bunt

Brent Morel

40

4.40

R

4.4

4

Dustin Ackley

75

3.90

L

3.9

Bryan Anderson

20

4.60

L

4.6

4.6

5

Domonic Brown

70

4.00

L

4.0

4.0

Buster Posey

30

4.50

R

4.5

4.5

6

Jose Tabata

70

4.10

R

4.1

4.1

Cale Iorg

75

3.70

R

3.7

-- bunt

7

Jose Iglesias

70

4.10

R

4.1

Carlos Rivero

25

4.57

R

4.5

4.6

4.6

8

Cedric Hunter

60

4.10

L

4.0

4.1

4.2

Carlos Triunfel

40

4.40

R

4.4

4.4

4.4

9

Jemile Weeks

60

4.20

R

4.2

4.2

Casey Kelly

30

4.53

R

4.5

4.5

4.6

10

Casper Wells

60

4.20

R

4.2

Casper Wells

60

4.20

R

4.2

11

Jordan Danks

55

4.15

L

4.1

4.2

Cedric Hunter

60

4.10

L

4.0

4.1

4.2

12

Grant Desme

55

4.25

R

4.2

4.3

Chris Marrero

20

4.70

R

4.7

4.7

4.7

13

Andrew Lambo

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

Chris Parmelee

20

4.65

L

4.7

4.6

14

Josh Bell

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

Daniel Descalso

45

4.25

L

4.3

4.2

15

Danny Espinosa

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

Danny Espinosa

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

16

Daniel Descalso

45

4.25

L

4.3

4.2

Danny Espinosa

30

4.50

R

4.4

4.5

4.6

17

Ryan Kalish

45

4.25

L

4.3

4.2

Daryl Jones

40

4.30

L

4.3

4.3

4.3

18

Marcus Lemon

45

4.30

L

4.3

David Cooper

20

4.80

L

4.8

19

Russ Mitchell

45

4.35

R

4.4

4.3

Domonic Brown

70

4.00

L

4.0

4.0

20

Daryl Jones

40

4.30

L

4.3

4.3

4.3

Dustin Ackley

75

3.90

L

3.9

21

Mitch Mooreland

40

4.30

L

4.3

Freddie Freeman

20

4.75

L

4.8

4.7

22

Carlos Triunfel

40

4.40

R

4.4

4.4

4.4

Grant Desme

55

4.25

R

4.2

4.3

23

Matt McBride

40

4.40

R

4.4

Hank Conger

20

4.75

L

4.7

4.8

24

Brent Morel

40

4.40

R

4.4

Hector Gomez

80

4.00

R

4.0

4.0

4.0

25

Jonathan Lucroy

40

4.43

R

4.5

4.4

4.4

Jason Castro

35

4.35

L

4.4

4.3

26

Starlin Castro

40

4.45

R

4.5

4.4

Jemile Weeks

60

4.20

R

4.2

4.2

27

Josh Bell

40

4.45

R

4.4

4.5

Jonathan Lucroy

40

4.43

R

4.5

4.4

4.4

28

Jason Castro

35

4.35

L

4.4

4.3

Jordan Danks

55

4.15

L

4.1

4.2

29

Rene Tosoni

35

4.40

L

4.4

Jose Iglesias

70

4.10

R

4.1

30

Danny Espinosa

30

4.50

R

4.4

4.5

4.6

Jose Tabata

70

4.10

R

4.1

4.1

31

Casey Kelly

30

4.53

R

4.5

4.5

4.6

Josh Bell

50

4.20

L

4.2

4.2

33

Buster Posey

30

4.50

R

4.5

4.5

Josh Bell

40

4.45

R

4.4

4.5

32

Mike Moustakas

25

4.45

L

4.5

4.4

Josh Rodriguez

25

4.60

R

4.6

34

Carlos Rivero

25

4.57

R

4.5

4.6

4.6

Josh Vitters

20

4.70

R

4.7

35

Josh Rodriguez

25

4.60

R

4.6

Marcus Lemon

45

4.30

L

4.3

36

Taylor Green

20

4.50

L

4.5

Matt Angle

75

3.20

L

3.2

-- drag bunt

37

Yonder Alonso

20

4.60

L

4.6

4.6

Matt McBride

40

4.40

R

4.4

38

Bryan Anderson

20

4.60

L

4.6

4.6

Mike Moustakas

25

4.45

L

4.5

4.4

39

Chris Parmelee

20

4.65

L

4.7

4.6

Mitch Mooreland

40

4.30

L

4.3

40

Brad Emaus

20

4.65

R

4.7

4.6

Rene Tosoni

35

4.40

L

4.4

41

Chris Marrero

20

4.70

R

4.7

4.7

4.7

Russ Mitchell

45

4.35

R

4.4

4.3

42

Josh Vitters

20

4.70

R

4.7

Ryan Kalish

45

4.25

L

4.3

4.2

43

Hank Conger

20

4.75

L

4.7

4.8

Starlin Castro

40

4.45

R

4.5

4.4

44

Freddie Freeman

20

4.75

L

4.8

4.7

Taylor Green

20

4.50

L

4.5

45

David Cooper

20

4.80

L

4.8

Yonder Alonso

20

4.60

L

4.6

4.6

Before you jump to any conclusions, note the following:

a. A variety of factors can result in a misleading reading. That's why I tried to get as many samples as possible. But still be careful with these small samples. I gave guys grades for the fun of it, but each grade needs to be put into context. Remember, the difference between an outstanding runner and poor runner is only about half a second!That doesn't leave much margin for error.

b. There's always a chance that a guy is hurt or extremely fatigued when you time him. For example, I had Hector Gomez at 4.5 seconds from contact to first base last May -- he wasn't completely healthy then. Gomez was a half second faster at the AFL. On the flip side, Buster Posey was a step slower at the AFL than he was in High-A (tired legs).

c. Some batters take big swings that really slow them down out of the box. Danny Espinosa from the right side is a good example. His swing pulls him from first base then he has to balance and accelerate. But he does just fine getting out of the box as a lefty.

I'll have a follow-up piece shortly to provide some analysis on what I've taken away from this data.

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